NCAA Division II Weight Throw Entries and Preview

With eight athletes (five men, three women) competing in the weight throw at the NCAA Division II Championships this weekend, Ashland is a name to look out for. The small school in Ohio has been a juggernaut in the weight throw for years, but this year they have been especially dominant. Ryan Loughney leads the nation by more than a meter on the men's side with his best of 22.99 meters. He is the only thrwoer that has broken 22 meters, and he has done so three out of four meets this year. To top it all off, his only loss of the season was to US Champion AG Kruger. Behind him battling for the silver medal will be Richard Quick. Quick has not lost to another D2 thrower (other than Loughney) this season and bosts a strong best of 21.94 meters. He will be chased by three more throwers over 21 meters, which reflects on the exceptional level of competition in the D2 ranks this year.

Grand Valley State has the top two woman qualifiers led by Liz Murphy. Murphy's personal best from two weeks ago clearly outdistances the field, but she has not thrown within one meter of that mark the rest of the season. She traded wins with teammate Sam Lockhart throughout the season, and Ashland's Kelly Ash has also thrown over 20 meters and is not far behind the pair.